Black women are more likely to get cervical cancer

The study — published online on May 12 — shows that the overall rate of cervical cancer is 18.6 cases per 100,000 women. Previous studies concluded that this rate was 12 cases per 100,000 women but they included women who had hysterectomies and were no longer at risk.

The Cancer study excluded these women and found that this number was much higher. Additionally, women between the ages of 65 and 69 are at a higher risk of getting cervical cancer than previously reported.

The study also showed that black women had higher rates at all ages compared to white women of the same age. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for most cases of cervical cancer so the researchers believe that the HPV vaccine should be used more.